I want to talk about a word used in literary slang to refer to the mythical, interesting and sometimes even romantic. It's the word Canaima. In the original Pemon is written "Kanaimö". he first time this word appeared in the Venezuelan literature was in a novel by Rómulo Gallegos. There it is described as an evil spirit that lives in the jungle of the south of Bolívar State, in Venezuela.
The other use that is given to this word is to name the National Park Canaima which is a natural patrimony of humanity, and is synonymous with the beautiful, by the unique landscapes that exist in this park, that covers the Tepuyes, the Angel Falls and the Gran Sabana.
From there, the Venezuelan government has chosen it as the name for certain technological projects. The laptop for school children bears that name, as well as a version of the Linux operating system that has been called Canaima as well.
But what does the word Kanaimö really mean? What does the Pemon use this word for? The word Kanaimö (Canaima) is used to say assassin. It sounds shocking, but it's the real meaning. A Kanaimö is another Pemon that under effects of drugs is dedicated to assassinate other Pemon, and this fact makes it addictive and so, can be one or several people who participate in this evil fact. In its verbal form, Kanaimö means "stalking." It is used to refer to animal hunting or fishing. So, both in its substantive and verbal form, indicate an imminent danger to the victims.
This is the second time I write about this topic. My goal is not only to make known about the meaning of the word Kanaimö, but also to warn of the inappropriate and excessive use that, what it does is to invoke the assassins. For no one it is logical to use the word killer as the name of a national park, or as a brand of a computer. But, it's what's happening in Venezuela.
